As Rio de Janeiro prepares to host the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympics, a community of self-described “urban Indians” is threatened with forced eviction to make way for a stadium named after the original Indigenous inhabitants of the territory (the Marakana). As the mega-events begin threatening a number of other communities with displacement, residents unite to fight back in defense of their constitutional rights, temporarily suspended under a “state of exception.” This character driven story was filmed over the course of 6 years, utilizing production protocols that combine observation verité with participatory documentary practices and citizen journalism.

US Premiere

Biofilmography

Jason O’Hara is a documentary filmmaker interested in themes of social and environmental justice. His footage has been featured on the CBC’s NATURE OF THINGS and THE FIFTH ESTATE, TVO’s WHY POVERTY Series, in a number of theatrical documentaries, and on television news in Brazil, Venezuela, and the USA. His first documentary short DEMUR was recipient of a Canadian Cinema Editors Award. RHYTHMS OF RESISTANCE, Jason’s MFA thesis film has screened in festivals on four continents and has received two international festival awards.